Prefabricated roof and eave anchor means therefor



Deco W66 J. A. WHELAN 3,289,362

PREFABRICATED ROOF AND EAVE ANCHOR MEANS THEREFOR Filed Nov 9, 1964 I NVEN TOR.

United States Patent 3,289,362 PREFABRICATED RUOF AND EAVE ANCHOR MEANSTHEREFOR Joseph A. Whelan, Box 114, Pauli, Pa. Filed Nov. 9, 1964, Ser.No. 409,637 8 Claims. (Cl. 52--92) The present invention pertains to aroof construction with particular reference to roofs prefabricated withconventional materials as well as roofs molded from plastics orconcrete.

Prior to the present invention, practically all roofs were erectedpiecemeal at the building site. First the rafters had to be cut, fittedand nailed in place. Next, the roof decking had to be nailed to therafters and finally, the waterproof roofing material had to be appliedto the decking. The necessity for erecting a roof in this manner was dueto the fact that a panel or section of a roof, once the decking androofing materials had been applied, was too heavy, too bulky and toounwieldy to maneuver into its final position. Additionally, after theroof decking had been affixed to the rafters, the rafters could not bereached for joining to the ridge or to the structural members of thebuilding.

The roof, being the topmost part of a building is always erected at aheight above the ground. The workmen are required to stand on skeletonframing and. do not have a firm footing. As a result, their ability tohandle large or heavy sections of a roof is severely restricted.

When a roof is erected piecemeal, each step must await the completion ofthe prior step. This alway cause a delay and, until the roof iscompleted, the interior of the building is always subject to damage fromthe elements. This is particularly serious in prefabricated buildingswhere many of the finished parts of the building are erectedconcurrently with the walls and before the roof is completed.

Since the conventional way to erect a roof is to attach the rafters tothe ridge and to the structural members by nailing, no non-naila'blematerials, such as plastics or concrete, can be used.

In order to reduce the expenditure for skilled and semi-skilled labor atthe building site and to permit workmen to work indoors, prefabricatedbuildings have come into wide usage. In prefabricated buildings,substantial portions of the building are assembled remote from thebuilding site and shipped as assembled panel sections to the buildingsite where they may be erected on the foundation or other supports.However, it has been the practice to construct the roof in theconventional manner at the site. This is because an assembled section orpanel of a roof is too heavy and too awkward for workmen to maneuverinto place and because the decking renders the rafters inaccessible forfastening to the ridge or to the structural members of the building.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a self aligningprefabricated roof panel capable of being raised into final positionwithout the use of special tools or equipment.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel constructionwherein the thrust and stress of the roof is transferred to thestructural members of a building through a bracket and a brace anchoredto the rafters and the structural members, respectively.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel construction of aroof using non-nailable materials such as plastics or concrete.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel construction ofa roof without special equipment where the conventional rafters are toolong or too heavy to be maneuvered by workmen.

3,289,362 Patented Dec. 6, 1966 All of the objects of the presentinvention are more fully set forth hereinafter with reference to theaccompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a section through a roof panel between two rafters showingthe relation of the parts.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a roof panel erected inits final position.

Briefly, the invention consists of a roof panel having a plurality ofrafters 1 to which have been attached the roof decking 2 and thewaterproof roofing material 3, each rafter 1 having a notch 4 reinforcedby a bracket 5 positioned to engage a brace 8 in such manner as toprevent longitudinal movement while permitting lateral and rotarymovement during erection and thereafter providing a means of attachingthe rafters to the structural members of the building.

In the embodiment shown on the drawings in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, theexterior wall of a building is shown with a vertical structural member14 and a horizontal structural member 13 to which is attached theexterior wall facing 15. In FIG. 2 a panel section is shown in its finalposition comprising a plurality of rafters 1 with the roof decking 2 andthe roofing material 3 attached, and with the engagement of bracket 5and brace 8 joined by a bolt 7, and the brace 8 anchored to thestructural member 13 by means of a bolt 9. Longitudinally along therafter 1 are a series of prepositioned holes 10' through which bolts canbe inserted to bring adjacent panels into alignment and security. At theridge end of the rafter, a ridge board 11 is attached which bearsagainst a similar ridge board in the opposing panel 12 and the two ridgeboards are held together by bolts.

Each rafter 1 in the panel is of predetermined size and configuration.At the ridge end, a ridge board 11, eX- tending the width of the panel,is securely fastened to each rafter and when the panel is in its finalposition the ridge board presses against an identical ridge boardfastened to the rafters of a similar opposing panel. Near the eaves endof each rafter is a notch 4, reinforced by a bracket 5. The bracket istotally within the outline of the associated rafter and positioned tooffer no obstruction to the smooth bottom surface of the associatedrafter. When the panel is brought to the building, the ridge end israised and rested on top of the top structural member of the outsidewall. The panel is then pushed upward and inward and the smooth bottomsurface of the rafters is slid over the vertical leg of the brace 8until the notch 4 falls around and engages the brace 8. After theengagement of the notch 4 and the brace 8, further longitudinal movementof the panel, or the rafters, is restricted while the panel may be movedlaterally and rotated around the brace 8. Once the brace 8 has beenpositioned near the caves of the building, no further measurements arenecessary and the engagement of the notch 4 with the brace 8 defines theposition of the panel with respect to the outside wall. After finalpositioning, the panel is permanently secured to the structural membersof the building by fastening bracket 5 to brace 8 by means of a bolt 7.The notch 4 is reinforced by a bracket 5 anchored to each rafter 1 bybolts 6. The bracket 5 transfers the stress and thrust of the rafter 1to the structural member 13 by pressing against the brace 8 and beingpermanently fastened thereto by bolt 7. It will be noted that when thebracket has engaged the brace 8 and the ridge boards 11 are pressingagainst each other, the panels will remain in position without anyfurther support and will permit final adjustment of the panel beforepermanent attachment. Spaced longitudinally along the edge of theexterior rafters of each panel are holes 1t) registered to set oppositeholes in the adjoining panel rafter and by means of which the adjoiningpanel may be aligned and securely and permanently fastened by bolts.

The notch 4 is placed near the eaves end of the respective rafters. Thisnotch need not be of any particular shape provided the inward side isplumb in its final position and the notch is wide enough to avoidbinding on the brace during rotation. In the preferred embodiment shownon the drawings, FIG. 1, the inward side is straight and perpendicularto the ground. The other side of the notch is arcuate curving from thetop of the inward side of the notch, outwardly and downwardly to a pointoutwardly of the outside horizontal edge of the brace 8. It is importantthat there be a small space between the outward limit of the horizontalleg and the outward margin of the notch to prevent binding duringrotation. The inward vertical side of the notch must be of sufiicientdepth to prevent disengagement of the bracket and the brace 8 when therafter is rotated.

The bracket 5 is firmly anchored to each rafter 1 and has one legprojecting at right angles to the side of the rafter. The projecting leghas a hole registered with a hole 16 in the brace 8 and through whichthe bracket 5 is ultimately fastened to the brace 8 by means of a bolt7. It will be noted that while the space between the horizontalstructural member 13 and the roof decking 2 is insuificient to permitnailing the rafter to the structural member 13, such space is sufiicientto permit joining the bracket 5 to the brace 8 by means of a bolt 7. Thebracket 5 is anchored to the interior side of each rafter 1 with theoutward surface of the projecting leg in line with the inward straightside of the notch 4. In this position the bracket 5 absorbs any shock tothe notch 4 and prevents splitting of the rafter 1. It also bearsagainst the brace 8 and transmits the stress and thrust of the roofpanel directly to the brace 8.

The brace 8 is firmly anchored to the structural members 13 of thebuilding by bolts 9 and receives all the stress and thrust of the roofpanel. Positioned along its vertical leg are holes 16 registered to setopposite holes in the projecting leg of the bracket 5 and to receive abolt 7 permanently binding the bracket to the brace. The vertical leg ofthe brace 8 must be of sufficient height to prevent disengagement of thebracket 5 and the brace 8 when the panel is rotated. The brace 8 beingfirmly anchored to the structural member 13 transmits all stress andthrust of the roof panel received from the bracket 5 to the structuralmember 13.

When the panels are brought to the building site, the ridge end israised and rested against the top of the outside wall. A similar panelis raised against the opposite outside wall. From this position, onepanel is pushed upward and inward, with the assistance of a block andtackle if necessary, until the notch 4 falls around and engages brace 8.The panel is then rotated to a near horizontal position and rests onceiling joists or other support. The opposing panel on the opposite sideof the building is similarly raised and rotated until it overlaps andrests on the ridge end of the first panel. From this position, the ridgeend of each panel is raised and rotated around the brace 8 until theridge board 11 is slightly higher than its final position. The ridge endof both panels are then lowered until the ridge board 11 of each panelrest against each other. The pressure of the panels against each otherat the ridge boards 11 and the pressure of the bracket 5 against thebrace 8 holds the panels in place, while being adjusted, without furthersupport. From this position, the panels are brought into finaladjustment and permanently bound by bolts through predetermined holes inthe ridge boards and by bolts attaching the bracket 5 to the brace 8.Each succeeding pair of panels is similarly raised and additionally eachpanel is bolted to the adjoining panel through the holes in the exteriorrafters, thus securing a rigid homogeneous roof.

It will be apparent, therefore, that the present invention provides aroof panel section of a building or the like which may be completelypreassembled remote from the building site and which may be connected tothe building structure and to similar roof panel sections withoutspecial tools or equipment. The connection between the panels,themselves, and between the panels and the structural framing of thebuilding is confined to the small space within the outline of the panelsection and does not interfere with any other parts of the building.Since the panels may be preassembled at a location remote from thebuilding site, the components may be designed to accommodate mechanizedassembly and need not conform to standard building materials. Thetransfer of the stress and thrust of the roof to the structural framingby means of a bracket and brace permits the use of materials which arepre-cast or molded in a factory and brought to the site for erection.

While particular embodiment of the present invention have been hereinillustrated and described, it is not intended to limit the invention tosuch disclosure, but changes and modifications may be made therein andthereto within the scope of the following claims:

I claim:

1. In a roof construction, a rafter with a notch near the eaves endthereof, reinforced by a bracket lying within the longitudinal outlineof said rafter, one leg of said bracket being bolted to said rafter andthe other leg projecting perpendicularly to the side of said rafter andhaving its outward face in line with the inward face of said notchcooperating toabsorb any shock or stress on said notch and having a holein said projecting leg registered with a hole in the vertical leg of abrace whose horizontal leg is bolted to the structural members of abuilding, said brace positioned to engage said notch and, afterengagement, cooperating to restrain outward longitudinal movement ofrafter while permitting rotary, lateral and inward longitudinal movementduring adjustment and, after final adjustment, affording means ofpermanently fastening rafter to structural members by a bolt passingthrough the registered holes in the bracket and brace.

2. In a roof construction, a panel having at least two parallel facingrafters with roof decking attached, each rafter having a notch near theeaves end thereof and a bracket having one leg bolted to the associatedrafter and the other leg projecting at right angles to the longitudinalplane of the rafter, the outward face of said projecting leg in linewith the inside face of said notch and cooperating to absorb any shockor stress on said notch, said bracket having a hole in the projectingleg registered with a hole in the vertical leg of a brace anchored tothe structural members of the building, said brace, after engagementwith the bracket reinforced notch, cooperating to restrict outwardlongitudinal movement but allowing inward longitudinal lateral androtary movement of the panel during erection and affording means ofpermanently attaching panel to the structural members of the building bybolts passing through aforesaid registered holes.

3. In a roof construction, a panel according to claim 2 wherein thenotch in each rafter has its inner side straight and perpendicular tothe ground in its final position and has the outer side of the notcharcuate, curving from the top inner side of the notch outwardly anddownwardly to a point outside the outermost point of the horizontal legof the brace affording means of rotating panel.

4. In a roof construction, a panel according to claim 2 wherein a ridgeboard is securely attached to the ridge end of the associated raftersand extending the width of the panel, opposing and resting against asimilar ridge board attached to an opposing panel erected on theopposite side of the building and providing means for permanentlybolting together opposing panels at the ridge.

5. In a roof construction, a panel according to claim 2 wherein theexterior rafters on each side of the panel have a series of holes spacedat predetermined points along the length of the rafters to register withsimilar holes in the exterior rafters of the adjacent panels, pro-"viding means for alignment and permanently fastening adjacent panels.

6. In a roof construction, a panel according to claim 2 wherein therafters and the roof decking are prefabricated in one piece with thebrackets, reinforcing the notches, anchored to the rafters andtransmitting the thrust and stress of the roof panel to a brace securelyanchored to the structural members of the building.

7. In a roof construction, a panel according to claim 2 wherein thenotch is sufliciently deep and the vertical leg of the brace issuflicliently long to prevent disengagement of the notch and brace when.the panel is rotated.

8. In a roof construction according to claim 2 wherein the brackets areanchored by bolts to the interior side of the exterior rafters andwithin the longitudinal outline of the associated panel atfording smoothuninterrupted side and bottom surfaces of the panel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FRANK L. ABBOTT,Primary Examiner. M. O. WARNECKE, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A ROOF CONSTRUCTION, A RAFTER WITH A NOTCH NEAR THE EAVES ENDTHEREOF, REINFORCED BY A BRACKET LYING WITHIN THE LONGITUDINAL OUTLINEOF SAID RAFTER, ONE LEG OF SAID BRAKCET BEING BOLTED TO SAID RAFTER ANDTHE OTHER LEG PROJECTING PERPENDICULARLY TO THE SIDE OF SAID RAFTER ANDHAVING ITS OUTWARD FACE IN LINE WITH THE INWARD FACE OF SAID NOTCHCOOPERATING TO ABSORB ANY SHOCK OR STRESS ON SAID NOTCH AND HAVING AHOLE IN SAID PROJECTING LEG REGISTERED WITH A HOLE IN THE VERTICAL LEGOF A BRACE WHOSE HORIZONTAL LEG IS BOLTED TO THE STRUCTURAL MEMBERS OF ABUILDING, SAID BRACE POSITIONED TO ENGAGE SAID NOTCH AND, AFTERENGAGEMENT, COOPERATING TO RESTRAIN OUTWARD LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OFRAFTER WHILE PERMITTING ROTARY, LATERAL AND INWARD LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENTDURING ADJUSTMENT AND, AFTER FINAL ADJUSTMENT, AFFORDING MEANS FOPERMANENTLY FASTENING RAFTER TO STRUCTURAL MEMBERS BY A BLOT PASSINGTHROUGH THE REGISTERED HOLES IN THE BRACKET AND BRACE.